Fairhaven BPW to examine plover fencing on West Island

Tuesday

Apr 30, 2013 at 12:01 AMApr 30, 2013 at 7:46 AM

The Fairhaven Board of Public Works is looking into limiting protections for piping plovers on West Island beach after a resident complained that extensive fencing was getting in the way of recreation.

ARIEL WITTENBERG

FAIRHAVEN — The Board of Public Works is looking into limiting protections for piping plovers on West Island beach after a resident complained that extensive fencing was getting in the way of recreation.

Piping plovers are small Atlantic shore birds that have been on the federal endangered species list since 1986. State and federal regulations mandate the plovers be protected, which on West Island means that stakes tied together with kite-lines are placed around areas where the birds are likely to nest.

In late March, West Island resident Louis Badwey complained to the Board of Public Works that the fencing was intrusive.

Badwey, who would not speak to The Standard-Times, told the BPW that the protections "are tying up about 2,000 feet of the town beach," according to BPW meeting minutes.

He also complained that the fencing did not leave enough room for residents to walk along the water at high tide.

On West Island, most of the plover nesting ground is located on the state reservation. In recent years, the birds have been nesting on town-owned land, too, according to Jamie Bogart, a senior researcher with the Lloyd Center for the Environment, which manages the plover protection for the state.

"West Island is not only a busy place for people, but it's an increasingly important place as a plover nesting site," Bogart said.

Superintendent of Public Works Vincent Furtado said the board is looking into any options the town has to reduce the amount of fencing.

"There has always been fencing there," he said. "The law requires that the plovers be protected, but we are interested in the size of the fence."

According to Thomas French, assistant director in the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, the law does not give the town much "wiggle room" on its fencing practices. The town could be held liable and fined if a plover nest is damaged on town property if it does not provide adequate protection around the plover nesting areas, he said.

"The fencing may sound like a huge burden, but the risks are high," French said. "If you fence according to regulations, you have federal protection if something happens to the birds."

Furtado said the board would be speaking to Division of Fisheries and Wildlife representatives at its next meeting in order to come to a compromise.

"If we can't change it, we can't change it; the fence is going to be as big as they need it," he said. "It's an endangered species. We just need to coexist on the beach."